Saturday, January 10, 2009

Maturity

One has to learn to like what is happening. That is what I call maturity. One has to like that which is already there. Immaturity is always living in "oughts", "shoulds", and never living in the "is"--and "is" is the case. "Should" is just a dream. One should live intensely. Why? Whatsoever is the case is good. Love it and like it and relax into it. When sometimes intensity comes, love it. When it goes, goodbye. Things change...Life is a flux, nothing remains the same, so sometimes great spaces and sometimes nowhere to move. But both are good. Both are gifts from God. One should be so grateful that whatsoever happens, one is grateful, thankful.

Osho

Daily Meditation, Jan 10th: James Allen

The great need of the soul is the need of that permanent.

JANUARY TENTH

THE old must pass away before the new can appear. The old cottage must be demolished before the new mansion can appear upon its site. The old error must be destroyed before the new truth can come. . . . The old self must be renounced before the new man can be born. When the old self of temper, impatience, envy, pride, and impurity has perished, then in its place will appear the new man of gentleness, patience, goodwill, humility, and purity.

Let the old life of sin and sorrow pass ; let the new life of Righteousness and Joy come in. ... Then all that was old and ugly will be made new and beautiful.

It is in the realisation of this Principle where the Kingdom of Heaven, the abiding home of the soul, resides, and which is the source and storehouse of every permanent blessing.

A life of virtue is noble and excellent.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Daily meditation, Jan 9th: James Allen

When the soul is most tried, its need is greatest.

JANUARY NINTH
DO not despair because of failure. From your particular failure there is a special greatness, a peculiar wisdom, to be gained; and no teacher can lead you to that greatness, that wisdom, more surely and swiftly than your experience of failure. In every mistake you make, in every fall you encounter, there is a lesson of vital import if you will but search it out; and he who will stoop to discover the good in that which appears to be disastrous will rise superior to every event, and will utilise his failures as winged steeds to bear him to a final and supreme success.
Foolish men blame others for their lapses and sins, but let the truth-lover blame only himself. Let him acknowledge his complete responsibility for his own conduct.

Where temptation is powerful, the greater and more enduring will be the victory.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Daily meditation, Jan 8th: James Allen

The strife of the world in all its forms has its origin in one common cause, namely, individual selfishness.

JANUARY EIGHTH

ALL the varied activities of human life are rooted in, and draw their vitality from, one common source—the human heart. The cause of all suffering and all happiness resides, not in the outer activities of human life, but in the inner activities of the heart and mind; and every external agency is sustained by the life which it derives from human conduct.

The man who cannot endure to have his errors and shortcomings brought to the surface and made known, but tries to hide them, is unfit to walk the highway of Truth. He is not properly equipped to battle with and overcome temptation. He who cannot fearlessly face his lower nature cannot climb the rugged heights of renunciation.

Each man comes under the laws of his own being, never under the laws of another.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Daily meditation, Jan 7th: James Allen

As errors and impunities are revealed, purge them way.

JANUARY SEVENTH

VERY step upward means the leaving of something behind and below. The high is reached only at the sacrifice of the low. The good is secured only by abandoning the evil. Knowledge is acquired only by the destruction of ignorance. Livery acquisition has its price, which must be paid "to the uttermost farthing." Every animal, every creeping thing, possesses some gift, some power, which man, in his upward march, has laid down, which he has exchanged for some higher gift, or power. What great good men forfeit by clinging to old selfish habits! Behind every humble sacrifice a winged angel waits to bear us up the heights of knowledge and wisdom.

Let him who has attained guard against falling back. Let him be careful in little things, and be well fortified against the entrance of sin.

Aim, with ardour, for the attainment of a perfect life.

Daily meditation, Jan 6th: James Allen

The lover of the pure life renews his mind daily.

JANUARY SIXTH

As the energetic man of business is not daunted by difficulties, but studies how to overcome them, so the man of ceaseless aspiration is not crushed into submission by temptations, but meditates how he may fortify his mind; for the tempter is like a coward, he only creeps in at weak and unguarded points. The tempted one should study thoughtfully the nature and meaning of temptation, for until it is known it cannot be overcome. He who is to overcome temptation must understand how it arises in his own darkness and error, and must study, by introspection and meditation, how to disperse the darkness and supplant error by truth.

A man must know himself if he is to know truth. Self-knowledge is the handmaid of self-conquest.

Engage daily in holy meditation on Truth and its attainment.

Daily meditation, Jan 5th: James Allen

When a man wishes and wills he can find the good and the true.

JANUARY FIFTH

THE Gates of Heaven are for ever open, and no one is prevented from entering by any will or power but his own; but no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven so long as he is enamoured of, and chooses, the seductions of hell, so long as he resigns himself to sin and sorrow.

There is a larger, higher, nobler, diviner life than that of sinning and suffering, which is so common—in which, indeed, nearly all are immersed—a life of victory over sin, and triumph over evil; a life wise and happy, benign and tranquil, virtuous and peaceful. This life can be found and lived now, and he who lives it is steadfast in the midst of change; restful among the restless; peaceful, though surrounded by strife.

Every moment is the time of choice; every hour is destiny.

Daily meditation, Jan 4th: James Allen

Our life is what we make it by our own thoughts and deeds.

JANUARY FOURTH

MAN attains in the measure that he aspires. His longing to be is the gauge of what he can be. To fix the mind is to fore-ordain the achievement. As man can experience and know all low things, so he can experience and know all high things. As he has become human, so he can become divine. The turning of the mind in high and divine directions is the sole and needful task.

What is impurity but the impure thoughts of the thinker? What is purity but the pure thoughts of the thinker? One man does not do the thinking of another. Each man is pure or impure of himself alone. The man of aspiration sees before him the pathway up the heavenly heights, and his heart already experiences a foretaste of the final peace.

There is a life of victory over sin, and triumph over evil.

Daily meditation, Jan 3rd: James Allen

If one would find peace, he must come out of passion.

JANUARY THIRD

SO long as animal conditions taste sweet to a man, he cannot aspire: he is so far satisfied; but when their sweetness turns to bitterness, then in his sorrow he thinks of nobler things. When he is deprived of earthly joy, he aspires to the joy which is heavenly. It is when impurity turns to suffering that purity is sought. Truly aspiration rises, phoenix-like, from the dead ashes of repentance, but on its powerful pinions man can reach the heaven of heavens.

The man of aspiration has entered the way which leads to peace; and surely he will reach that end if he stays not nor turns back. If he constantly renews his mind with glimpses of the heavenly vision, he will reach the heavenly state.

That which can be conceived can be achieved.

Daily meditation, 2nd Jan: James Allen

Where is peace to be found! Where is the hiding-place of truth!

JANUARY SECOND

LET first things be put first; work before play; duty before enjoyment; and others before self: this is an excellent rule which cannot lead astray. To make a right beginning is half-way to victory. The athlete who makes a bad start may lose his prize; the merchant who makes a false start may lose his reputation; and the Truth-seeker who makes a wrong start may forego the crown of Righteousness. To begin with pure thoughts, sterling rectitude, unselfish purpose, noble aims, and an incorruptible conscience—this is to start right, this it is to put first things first, so that all other things will follow in harmonious order, making life simple, beautiful, successful, and peaceful.

The soul will cry out for its lost heritage.

Daily meditation, 1st Jan: James Allen

I am reading the wonderful book of James Allen "The book of meditation", I am so deeply touched and inspired by his words! I cannot help sharing them with my friends through the web. I will try to post one meditation per day. Here is the first for the 1st Jan:

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The way from passion to peace is by overcoming one’s self.

JANUARY FIRST

FREQUENTLY the man of passion is most eager to put others right; but the man of wisdom puts himself right. If one is anxious to reform the world, let him begin by reforming himself. The reformation of self does not end with the elimination of the sensual elements only; that is its beginning. It ends only when every vain thought and selfish aim is overcome. Short of perfect purity and wisdom, there is still some form of self-slavery or folly which needs to be conquered.

On the wings of aspiration man rises from earth to heaven, from ignorance to knowledge, from the under darkness to the upper light. Without it he remains a grovelling animal, earthly, sensual, unenlightened, and uninspired.

Aspiration is the longing for heavenly things.